Sometimes its an good pale ale, other times its below average. Weird thing is the tap lines at the brewery have been so contaminated, its been worse to drink it at the source. Bottle dating nonexistant. You really take your chance on these. Ideally, you'll get a nice toasted pale and crystal malt beer paired with some C hops for a light bodied refreshing experience with solid bitterness and hop flavors pushing the pine.

Pours a clear golden-orange with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, earth, citrus zest, and herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with earth and herbal hop flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a fairly earth and herbal hop forward presence all around.

Amber in color with a sticky white head. Fairly sweet on the nose with lots of toffee and sweet bread malt aromas. A moderate citrus hop character to it, maybe a light floral note as well. The flavor is on the sweet side for a pale ale. Lots of bread, toast, and toffee. Some bitterness and hop flavor, but not overly intense. Pretty decent pale ale, actually.

Mammoth Paranoid Pale ale is a tasty treat hooked up from my buddy Martin out west. Thank you, sir! It's brewed at an elevation of 8,000 feet, so I wonder if this tastes different at sea level.

Either way, it's nice. A pretty appearance, lace and deep rich caramel hues through the filtered beer. The smell is indistinct with a bit of pine hops poking through. The taste is overall roasty. It's a bit weird character for a pale, but not unwelcome. It starts with crisp hops, citrus/pine, follows with the malt that's like burnt sugar, and finishes with water.

Overall I'm happy to have a pale ale that I can drink with dinner, not worry about a bomber at 5.5% alcohol by volume, and not have to pay too much attention to "pick up notes of elderflower".

Pours a dark honey color and smells really piney with subtle hints of citrus. Has a strong maltyness that shines bright on the initial taste w/ a really decent amount of hops. Finish is piney and a bit sweet. Overall, this is a great beer to drink while chillin on the porch.

Poured from a stubby 12oz brown bottle with no indication of freshness into a pint glass. This brew appears a lightly hazed orange copper color with a finger of yellowish stained head. Some stringy patches of lace cling to the glass. A light swirl revives less than a finger of the yellow foam back to the surface.

The aroma of this brew includes a sweet candy caramel malt note before the onset of the first hop indications. The sweetness of this brew comes off like toffee and flowers before turning hoppy with a slight pine note, faint citrus and herbs. As it warms, a swirl reveals some aromas that are almost vanilla-like.

The taste includes the malt sweetness indicated in the aroma tasting like a combination of caramel or toffee. Mid palate are some fruity hop indications and a light touch of vanilla before turning a bit herbal and piney in the finish. There is a very mild bitterness to this brew that lasts into the finish with a flavor mix of pine and herbs.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is not as hoppy as expected for an american pale ale. It seems more english in style or maybe is just a dated bottle. I found the malt inclusion in this brew to be quite enjoyable and it had a nice mix of flavors and aromas to enjoy. The 5.5% alcohol is noticeable with a light tingle and warmth in the back of the throat with every sip. Overall not a bad offering, I wouldn't mind having this again as a fresh offering.

Had a pint with my bacon-wrapped meatloaf at Whiskey Creek/the brewpub. I thought this was a classic APA; not quite as hoppy as Sierra Nevada, but very American. There was a great balance of bready, toasted malt with perfumey, floral citrus hops that aren't just your standard bitter grapefruit. It had interesting hops, tasty malts, and was wonderfully drinkable. We're I in a certain state of mind, I could clear out a 6-pack of this beer.

On tap at the Tioga Gas Mart in Lee Vining after an exhausting hike up Mt. Dana.

Amber with a beige head,nice retention and lacing. Nose has a lot of crystal malt, some citrus hops moderate sweetness. Palate opens with a blend of caramel and chalky hops low bitterness and flavor, this is rather mediocre. Medium light in body moderate carbonation, the finish is poor with mild sweetness and lacing in hop character. I didn't finish this.

Wow, maybe this is a less than ideal bottle v. having it on tap, but I've had it in bottle before, and don't recall it being this pedestrian.

Well, I've still got 5 more, let's hope this was just a bummer beer in the 6er. The hop quality is gone, its just bitter, but not cloying. Boy, I hope this isn't a sign of things to come every other time I try this stuff. Its almost beer fest time, Mammoth is usually at a few of them, I guess I'll have to wait and find out.

Edit: Oh yeah, that's right, I bought this at Bevmo (likely expired). Well, damn. What is disappointing is that I've had this beer at times when it has been very good. But that's once in a (well I don't wanna say blue moon) . . . you know where I'm going with this. This score is cumulative.

12 ounce bottle from Hi-Times. Poured into a SA perfect pint glass. Comes in at 5.5%. No bottling info is given.

A-Pours a very clear golden amber. It has a 3/4 finger off white head that dissolves quickly to a layer of spotted film surrounded by a bubbly ring. A small amount of spotted lace and an occasional streak of lace is left in between sips.

S-Smells of lightly faded grapefruit. According to others they use Cascade and the varietal dominates the nose. I do not pick up on any pine. Also get a hint of banana.

T-It starts with a little bit of grapefruit and some pale malt. Sweet malt hits in the back and on the finish. It is a lot sweeter than the nose lets on and I found it to be a touch too sweet for me.

M-Light end of the medium spectrum. Very smooth and is lightly carbonated.

D-Not bad, not outstanding. It is light enough and has a reasonable abv to be sessionable, but it is a little too sweet for me. Would reseve final judgment until I have tried it from a guaranteed fresh bottle.

Dark orange to amber in color with a fair sized cream colored head. Decent retention and a few spots of lace. Smells of much earthy grain, almost peanut buttery, some earthy hops present. Tastes of earthy malts with a fair hop balance. The flavor is quite dominated by earthy malts and not really what I would think of us a proper pale ale. Full bodied for a pale ale with a medium carbonation.

It was golden amber in color and most of the head was gone by the time it got to me but i could see that it was a very white clean head. The smell was hoppy but not too bad. The taste was clean and smooth. It had a little spice and some little floral note but nothing too much. Over all a very good beer.

Smell- Mostly some off lightly stale malt nose. A few fruity and pine hops mixed within.

Taste- Think this one has past it's prime. Significantly stale toasted caramel malt flavor..a bit cardboardy. Hops are overmatched and have probably faded away. What is there is mildy fruity and very lightly bitter.

Mouthfeel- Carbonation level is fine, but the aftertaste is not one to write home about.

Drinkability- Drained this one after half a glass. May try again in the future if I know I am getting a fresh one...maybe on tap if I ever see it.

I can't believe I'm doing this...reviewing a beer from my cell phone. Can't help it. I'm here at mammoth mountain...decided to drive up with my brother last night at 2am. Got here at 6. Crashed the car into a pole when the car skidded out.
I wish I could say that's the only struggle I had but it hasn't been. We came here to ski with two friends of my brothers-both of whom are on the us ski team. I'm on 0 sleep, hungover, and haven't skiid in two years. Can't keep up...
Time for a beer.

Just to start off, I am really pulling for this brewing company, they are just coming off of thirteen years of brewing and they are located really close to where I live. I have tried some of their other brews and they were okay but then there was this one.

When I poured it I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. It was really light and golden and I could immediately smell something sweet. I gulped even harder when the head came to about three fingers and was pitch white and frothy like a dog with rabies. It was transparent and had a medium gold color.

The smell was good, for a fruity beer. I could smell the citrus and even some really fine hint of honey. I really don't care for fruit and honey, except for desert.

The taste was like driving on a cobblestone road on a bicycle. At first it was okay and I thought that I was going to make it until...BAM! Sweetness disaster. I got through the whole beer but I had to have some crackers with it.

I am not going to just bag on this beer forever so I will say some positive things about it. It smelled really good, like this one candle I used to have. The head was frothy and sticky, I usually like beers like that.

Overall I will never buy this beer again and will not recommend. Hopefully Mammoth Brewing Company will do better next time.

Pours a golden amber with a light airy head from a 12 oz. bottle. Retention and lacing are thin.

Lots of piney hops on the nose and with a bit of hemp and some floral scents. Very much like a West coast IPA on the nose.

Taste is smooth and quite well balanced. A bit of oily hops couple with a nice tart sweetness, yet not a lot of depth to the malt structure. Slightly dry and bitter on the finish, limiting drinkability.

Malts do deepen as the beer warms yet don't show the smoky flavor of the draught versions.